STA, 29 July 2021 - The Social Democrats (SD) president and vice-president Tanja Fajon and Matjaž Nemec, respectively, called on Prime Minister Janez Janša to initiate an independent, voluntary forensic investigation of mobile devices of political leaders, journalists and civil society in the face of the Pegasus scandal.

Fajon said today Janša should explain what he was doing and talking about during his visit to the company selling the spyware Pegasus in Europe while in Israel in December 2020.

This comes after a consortium of media reported that hacking spyware sold by the Israeli NSO Group has been allegedly used by governments to target journalists, activists and political opponents.

Fajon also urged Janša to enable an "independent and voluntary forensic investigation of mobile devices, primarily of leaders of political parties but also investigative journalists and civil society, so that we'll actually know whether eavesdropping was actually taking place here as well".

Some European countries have already announced independent investigations, she noted.

If Janša fails to order an investigation until a certain deadline, European institutions or independent bodies will have to be asked to do it, Fajon said.

She said the European Parliament had been urged a few days ago to start dealing both with spying allegations on European ground as well as a rise in neo-Nazism and rightist extremism in Slovenia.

Nemec said he would call a session of the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission (KNOVS) to discuss the Pegasus scandal and allegations of political pressure on the police, especially in connection to the Yellow Jackets group.

He said that both journalists and politicians, including the prime minister and state secretary for national security in the prime minister's office Žan Mahnič, would be invited to the session that was to be held at the end of August.

STA, 29 July 2021 - The group Telekom Slovenije generated EUR 317.6 million in sales revenue in the first half of the year, down 1% from the same period in 2020. Net profit was up by 44% to EUR 21.3 million, Telekom said on Thursday.

"The Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on revenue in 2021, through lower revenues from our users roaming in foreign operators' networks, and foreign users roaming in our mobile networks, along with lower revenue from IT licenses," the group said in a press release published on the web site of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.

The unaudited business results were endorsed by the supervisors on Wednesday.

From January to June, earnings before interest, taxes (EBIT) amounted to EUR 29.3 million, which is the same as in the same period last year. Taking into account one-off events from 2020, EBIT in 2021 would have been 26% higher, compared to the same period last year, the group said.

The group's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was up by 1% to EUR 113.7 million. Taking into account one-off events from 2020, it would have been 6% higher year on year.

The group's net profit would have been 22% higher than in the first six months of 2020.

The core company Telekom Slovenije generated 3% lower sales revenue than in the same period last year, at EUR 287.3 million.

EBITDA dropped by 2% to EUR 94 million and EBIT was down 16% to EUR 23.7 million. Net profit was up 87% to EUR 28.5 million.

"Regardless of the challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic, Telekom Slovenije Group remains financially stable and continues to adapt its activities to the changing market conditions, while carefully monitoring and assessing the risks in supply chain, credit risk, system operations and the profitability of individual services," Telekom wrote.

At the end of the year, the group expects to post EUR 653 million in revenue, EUR 210.6 million in EBITDA and EUR 30.8 million in net profit. It plans to allocate EUR 203.7 million for investment.

The supervisors gave the green light yesterday to the appointment of Rajko Gerič as the CEO of the company TSmedia for a four-year term staring on 1 August, and the appointment of Sandra Peršak as the CEO of the company TSinpo, also starting her four-year term next month.

The appointment of Mitja Štular as the head of the company GVO as of 1 August was also confirmed. Štular, a member of the Telekom Slovenije management board, will lead GVO until a new CEO is appointed, expectedly until 1 September, when Zef Vučaj is to be appointed.

The supervisors also cleared the appointment of Simon Furlan as the head of the companies Siol Beograd, Siol Podgorica, Siol Sarajevo, Siol Dooel Skopje, Siol Zagreb and Siol Prishtina.

STA, 29 July 2021 - Slovenia's pharma group Krka Group saw its net profit rise by 11% to EUR 177.4 million in the first six months on record sales revenue of EUR 808.6 million, according to unaudited data.

Sales revenue was up by 1% compared to the same period last year and 6% higher than in the first six months of 2019, Krka said in a press release published on the web site of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange after the supervisors reviewed the results on Wednesday.

The group generated 95% of sales in markets outside Slovenia.

In East Europe, the group's largest region in terms of sales, sales revenue was up 2% to EUR 276.5 million. In Russia, sales dropped by 7% to EUR 168.2 million while the sales in local currency were up by 10%.

In Central Europe, which includes the Visegrad Group countries and Baltic countries, sales were up by 3% to EUR 188.9 million. In Poland, revenue increased by 2% to EUR 87.6 million.

Western Europe was the only region to see a drop in revenue, by 12% to EUR 159.6 million, reportedly due to the absence of new calls for applications. However, sales were up in the UK, France, Ireland and Austria. But they were the highest in Germany and France, Krka said.

In South East Europe, sales increased by 8% to EUR 112.3 million.

In Slovenia, EUR 41.8 million in sales was generated, up 9% from the same period last year. The revenue from products sale reached EUR 28.4 million and from spa and tourist services EUR 13.3 million.

Krka Group sold EUR 27.5 million worth of products overseas, which is 14% more than in the first half of 2020.

Operating profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) totalled EUR 255 million, 7% down on the first half of 2020. Operating profit (EBIT) reached EUR 200.5 million, a 7% decrease year on year.

Due to favourable exchange rate movements, a positive net financial result of EUR 6.7 million was generated.

The core company generated EUR 711.8 million in sales revenue, down 9% from the first six months of 2020. Net profit dropped by 1% to EUR 154.6 million.

EBITDA decreased by 17% to EUR 208.7 million, while EBIT was down 20% to around EUR 166 million.

The group, which had 11,607 employees at the end of June or 12,524 if agency workers are included, allocated EUR 29.5 million for investment in the first six months, including EUR 22.5 million in the controlling company. Development costs totalled EUR 75.6 million.

The group plans to generate EUR 1.535 billion in sales revenue this year and some EUR 265 million in profit.

CEO Jože Colarič labelled the results as excellent, saying the group would continue on this path.

The supervisors also endorsed Colarič's proposal to grant another term to management board members Aleš Rotar, Vinko Zupančič and David Bratož.

STA, 29 July 2021 - Slovenia made it to the quarter-finals of the basketball tournament at the Tokyo Olympic Games after defeating the hosts Japan 116:81 for what is their second win in as many matches. 

Led by the NBA All-Star Luka Dončić, Slovenia were in the lead throughout the game. With plenty of motivated players in action, they were effective on the offensive and solid in defence.

While not as far dominant as in the first game against Argentina, Dončić scored 25 points, just one more than Zoran Dragić, with Vlatko Čančar adding another 16, Klemen Prepelič 12, and Jaka Blažič 10.

In fact all 12 Slovenia players scored points. The team won won 54:33 on rebounds and passed the 110 score mark for the 12th time in history.

Dončić left the court four minutes before the end of the game, having scored a point for each minute he spent in the court, plus seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocs.

Speaking for TV Slovenija, Dončić was pleased with the game, but said the team still had "quite some reserves in defence, which will be important in the following games.

"We all know Spain, they've had the same team for 10, 15 years, they are a very experienced team and it will be a very hard game," the superstar said ahead of Sunday's last game against Spain.

"I think we showed our power together as a team, having 27 assists and 54 rebounds ... I'm very proud of them," Slovenia head coach Aleksander Sekulić said.

The game will determine Slovenia's final ranking in their group, to be followed by the draw of the quarter-finals.

Winners from all three groups and the best second-placed team are seeded and will be placed in one pot, while the other four, that is the other two second-placed and the two best third-placed teams, will be placed in the second pot.

The quarter-finals will be played on 3 August, the semis on 5 August and the finals on 7 August.

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Roglič wins Olympic gold in time trial

TOKYO, Japan - Primož Roglič outclassed the competition by more than a minute in the men's Olympic time trial to win the second gold for Slovenia in Tokyo and the second medal for Slovenian cycling at the current Games. Bouncing back from difficulties in the Olympic road race, Roglič entered confidently into the 44.2 kilometre time trial, stepping up the pace throughout the course, to crush the field in the second of two laps for a winning time of 55 minutes 4.19 seconds. "Amazing ... It goes to show how fortunes can turn fast if you believe in yourself and work hard for new challenges ahead. Absolutely amazing," Roglič said.

Ljubljana Plečnik landmarks listed as UNESCO's World Heritage

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana's landmarks designed by architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957), including the Triple Bridge, Congress Square and Žale Cemetery, have been included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in line with a decision adopted by the World Heritage Committee. The decision came after the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) positively assessed Slovenia's bid on 4 June, recognizing Plečnik's works in Ljubljana as an exceptional example of urban space design in accordance with the architect's deeply human vision that transformed a former provincial town into a symbolic national capital.

Ceremony at Russian Chapel to mark Slovenia-Russia Friendship Day

LJUBLJANA - In a telephone conversation, Slovenian president Borut Pahor and Russian president Vladimir Putin agreed to declare the day of the annual ceremony in memory of Russian POWs who died building the Vršič pass during WWI also as Slovenia-Russia Friendship Day, said Pahor's office. On 23 July, Pahor sent a letter to Putin proposing this. Putin has now informed Pahor that Russian Ambassador to Slovenia Timur Eyvazov would hand him a letter on Thursday welcoming the proposal.

Slovenia logs 85 new coronavirus cases for Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - Another 85 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Tuesday, in what is a decline on the same day a week ago, data from the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) show. The test positivity rate remains high, at 5.37%, but slightly lower compared to over 6% a week ago. 1,583 PCR tests were conducted yesterday, along with 19,482 rapid antigen tests. The rolling 7-day average of new cases dropped by four from the day before to 65.

Slovenian PEN centre expresses support to Montenegrin counterpart

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian PEN centre expressed support in a statement to the Montenegrin PEN centre and called on the international community, the EU and Slovenia's EU presidency to condemn the violence against the Montenegrin nation and its culture. It said it supported the Montenegrin PEN in its fight against "exclusive and violent policy of the current Montenegrin government, which together with the Serbian Orthodox Church and pro-Serbian aspirations for dominance brutally attacks the constitutional foundations of the democratic country of Montenegro".

Real estate fund Equinox seeks floatation

LJUBLJANA - Equinox, a real estate fund created with the split of the real estate branch from the rest of the Group Union Hoteli, has become operational. Its shares are expected to be listed on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange in the autumn. Equinox's portfolio includes four hotels and commercial properties in Ljubljana spanning over a total of 65,000 square metres.

Retail turnover in June higher than pre-pandemic levels

LJUBLJANA - Retail turnover in the first half of this year was 10.8% higher than in the same period last year and 0.2% higher than in the first six months of the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Turnover in June was 12.8% higher compared to June 2020 and 6.6% higher than in June 2019, according to the Statistics Office.

STA, 28 July 2021 - Ljubljana's landmarks designed by architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957), including the Triple Bridge, Congress Square and Žale Cemetery, have been included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in line with a decision adopted by the World Heritage Committee on Wednesday.

Slovenia submitted the bid in January 2020 after an earlier joint bid with the Czech Republic was abandoned. All of Plečnik's major works in Ljubljana are thus included in the world heritage list, except for the dilapidated Bežigrad Stadium.

The country's bid Ljubljana: The Timeless, Human Capital Designed by Jože Plečnik, covered the works that Slovenia's most acclaimed architect completed during both world wars.

The decision of the World Heritage Committee comes after the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) positively assessed Slovenia's bid on 4 June.

ICOMOS recognised Plečnik's works in Ljubljana as an exceptional example of urban space design in accordance with the architect's deeply human vision that transformed a former provincial town into a symbolic national capital.

According to ICOMOS, Plečnik's approach is based on the reformist architectural movements of the early 20th century that is currently under-represented in the World Heritage List.

Špela Spanžel from the Ministry of Culture, who headed the task force preparing the nomination, said that the process that had led to this recognition had gradually started ten years ago, initially as a reflection on the value of Plečnik's heritage.

"We believe that Plečnik's Ljubljana illustrates in an exemplary way an approach to heritage that honours the achievements of the past and conceives the future tailored to the people, which means it very much reflects modern notions such as quality architecture and built environment, management, sustainability, beauty and a sense of space," Spanžel said.

Slovenia's bid was prepared by a group of experts in protection, preservation and management of cultural heritage in cooperation with the owners and managers of Plečnik's landmarks. The process was led by the Ministry of Culture and coordinated by the Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO).

Slovenia already has four entries in the World Heritage List - heritage of mercury in Idrija, prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, and ancient and primeval beech forests, and the Škocjan Caves.

STA, 28 July 2021 - In a telephone conversation on Wednesday, Slovenian president Borut Pahor and Russian president Vladimir Putin agreed to declare the day of the ceremony at the Russian Chapel at Vršič as Slovenia-Russia Friendship Day, said Pahor's office.

On 23 July, Pahor sent a letter to Putin proposing that the day of the annual ceremony in memory of Russian POWs who died building the Vršič pass during WWI also be declared as Slovenia-Russia Friendship Day.

In a long telephone conversation, Putin informed Pahor that Russian Ambassador to Slovenia Timur Eyvazov would hand him a letter on Thursday welcoming the proposal.

The presidents of Slovenia and Russia are aware of the differences in political positions between the two countries, but believe that efforts should be made to promote dialogue in the interests of peace and friendship, a press release by Pahor's office reads.

"The Russian Chapel symbolises the ties between Slovenians and Russians, and the annual ceremony there reminds us of the importance of peace. It is not a given, but something we must continuously strive for," the release adds.

During their conversation, both presidents also expressed their hope that the situation will improve after the Covid-19 pandemic and that vibrant economic cooperation will resume.

Putin also recalled the warm welcome he received on his visit on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Russian Chapel, noting that next year will mark 30 years of diplomatic relations between Slovenia and Russia.

The two presidents therefore agreed to dedicate Slovenia-Russia Friendship Day to this important anniversary next year. The Russian president also wished success to the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU.

The Russian Chapel below Vršič, a wooden Orthodox style chapel, was built in 1916 by surviving Russian prisoners of war to commemorate their dead comrades who had been buried in an avalanche during the construction of the road across Vršič.

After the First World War, the chapel was maintained by local residents. After the reconstruction of the road in 1937, many graves of Russian prisoners were found and their remains were buried in the ossuary next to the chapel, above which a pyramid was erected with the inscription "To the Sons of Russia".

The wooden chapel had deteriorated over the years, so in 1991 it was cleaned, conserved and restored, along with the graves of the Russian prisoners and the grave of the unknown soldier next to the chapel. In 2006, the chapel was completely restored, and a traditional commemorative ceremony is held there every year at the end of July.

This year's ceremony will be dedicated to several anniversaries, including the 200th anniversary of the participation of the Russian Emperor Alexander I at the Ljubljana Congress and the 30th anniversary of Slovenia's independence. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek will be the keynote speaker at the ceremony.

Slovenia-Russia Friendship Day is not the only one in Slovenia celebrating international ties. This July, the first Slovenia-Israel Friendship Day took place. At the initiative of Pahor, Slovenia also commemorates Slovenia-US Friendship Day and Slovenia-UK Friendship Day.

STA, 28 July 2021 - Rider Primož Roglič has outclassed the competition by more than a minute in the men's Olympic time trial on Wednesday to win the second gold for Slovenia in Tokyo and the second medal for Slovenian cycling at the ongoing Games.

Bouncing back from difficulties in the Olympic road race, which saw his national team mate Tadej Pogačar win bronze, Roglič entered confidently into the 44.2 kilometre time trial, stepping up the pace throughout the course, to crush the field in the second of two laps for a winning time of 55 minutes 4.19 seconds.

This was as much as a 1min 1.39sec clear off Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands, his team mate in the UCI World Team Jumbo-Visma, in second. Australia's Rohan Dennis came in third with a lag of 1min 3.90sec to claim bronze.

"Amazing ... It goes to show how fortunes can turn fast if you believe in yourself and work hard for new challenges ahead. Absolutely amazing," Roglič told RTV Slovenija in his first comment.

Roglič's is the fourth medal for Slovenia at the Tokyo Games and the second gold after canoeist Benjamin Savšek secured the Olympic title in the men's C-1 slalom on Monday.

"I wouldn't say I'm a specialist for time trial or anything, but I can do a good time trial. I'm exceptionally proud and happy," the 31-year old added.

At the first time check, Roglič was still in second, half a second behind Italian Filippo Ganna, the reigning world champion, and three seconds ahead of Dumoulin with the rest of the pack close behind.

However, 22.1 kilometres into his trial, he has build an 8sec lead ahead of Dumoulin, with Ganna falling as much behind.

Stepping up his rhythm further, he extended his lead ahead of the Dutch rider further to 31 seconds on the first, longest climb, pacing up through to the finish line.

In fact, Roglič was so much focused on his ride that he kept on peddling beyond the finish line at the Fuji International Speedway until he was waved to a halt a hundred metres on.

Commenting on that for the Slovenian public broadcaster after the medal ceremony, Roglič said there was just no one there to tell him it was over and with all benchmarks looking the same he thought: "What the heck, I'll keep going."

Roglič's is the 27th medal for Slovenia at Summer Olympic Games since independence but the first gold in cycling in any discipline after Pogačar won the first ever Olympic medal for the country in cycling.

"We were aware we had a team that can make anything possible ... Primož was phenomenal," Andrej Hauptman, the head coach of Slovenia's Olympic cycling team, commented.

"You could already see before the road trainings that Primož is back in shape. It wasn't his day in the road race, but today he's back at the top where he deserves to be," Hauptman told the Slovenian public broadcaster in a reference to injuries from two bad falls that forced Roglič to withdraw from the Tour de France this year after he came in second last year, bested by Pogačar.

Roglič says he is yet to take in the feat he has achieved today, but he will not have much time to spare as he is due to appear in La Vuelta on 14 August to defend the title of the overall winner for a second time after he first won the tour of Spain in 2019.

STA, 28 July 2021 - After last year's hybrid edition, this year's Ljubljana Jazz Festival will take place live from 28 to 31 July. Most of the concerts will take place in the Park of the Council of Europe adjacent to the Cankarjev Dom. The focus will be on Slovenian performers, but the line-up includes several jazz greats.

The festival programme was drawn up by Bogdan Benigar, the head of the Jazz and World Music Programme at Cankarjev Dom, and Edin Zubčević from Jazz Fest Sarajevo.

Benigar highlighted a performance by the Avishai Cohen trio on 29 July, which had its first and only performance in Slovenia twenty years ago. This time, the musician will also present his latest unreleased compositions.

The trio Simulacrum will perform on 29 July and the closing concert of the festival on 31 July will feature the improvisers' group Arkos, formed by Slovenian jazz percussionist Zlatko Kaučič and the Italian flautist Massimo de Mattia.

In the Council of Europe Park, the musicians will perform on two stages, one of which will be dedicated to up-and-coming Slovenian musicians who are working either in Slovenia or abroad.

Among the performers on the main stage, Benigar highlighted Mirna Bogdanović, who will perform on 30 July. She will be accompanied by a team of musicians from Berlin.

The opening night of the festival will feature concerts by cellist Lakiko - a project by the artist Lana Kostić, and Teo Collori & Momento Cigano, a band dedicated to a unique vision of gypsy swing which also performed at last year's festival.

Learn more at the official website

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Daily case count exceeds 100 on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 106 new coronavirus infections for Monday in 1,650 PCR tests for a positivity rate of 6.4%, an increase on 5.1% a week ago, show fresh official data. The gradual but steady upward trend continues as the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population has risen by one to 41. The 7-day average case count increased by two to 69. The National Institute of Public Health estimates that there are 871 active cases in the country, up from 850 a day ago. The latest round of sequencing by the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food shows that 210 of the 222 samples or nearly 95% were the Delta variant.

Judoka Tina Trstenjak wins silver Olympic medal

TOKYO, Japan - Slovenian judoka Tina Trstenjak won the silver medal in the 63kg category at the Tokyo Olympics. The second-best-ranked in the category had to concede to the top-ranked Clarisse Agbegnenou of France in what was a replay of the gold medal match from the previous Olympics where Trstenjak won. Agbegnenou defeated Trstenjak with a waza-ari after 37 seconds of extra time following a tense and aggressive face-off during regulation time which saw penalties awarded to both competitors. "It didn't go according to plan, but I'm super happy I've gotten to the final at two consecutive Olympics," Trstenjak told RTV Slovenija after the match.

Rejected candidates make renewed bid for delegated prosecutors

LJUBLJANA - Matej Oštir and Tanja Frank Eler, the candidates picked by the State Prosecution Council for Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors before the nomination process was annulled by the government, have also applied in a repeat call for the posts. Prosecutor Oštir confirmed for Radio Slovenija him and Frank Fler have applied in the repeat call. The Justice Ministry, which is responsible for the procedure, has told the STA it has received no application in response to the repeat call by the Monday deadline, but did not rule out the possibility that a bid may have yet arrive by mail.

Ministry joins EU's call regarding Cyprus

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry shared on Twitter a statement by the EU condemning Turkey's unilateral steps regarding the town of Varosha in Cyprus. "Slovenia supports all endeavours towards a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue in line with the UN resolutions and European Union values," the ministry wrote. The EU strongly condemned Turkey's "unilateral steps and the unacceptable announcements made by the Turkish president and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community on 20 July 2021 on the further reopening of the fenced-off town of Varosha".

STA still waiting for talks with govt to resume

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Press Agency (STA) is still waiting for a response from the government after calling for a new round of talks on financing a week ago. Nor has the agency received any funds for the public service it provides. The STA called on the government to engage in a new round of talks to reach an agreement to finance the STA public service in 2021 after the Administrative Court stayed the implementation of a government regulation detailing the rules governing the STA public service which served as a basis for a draft agreement that the Government Communication Office sent to the STA with the demand to sign it.

Ceremony commemorating Russian POWs to mark other anniversaries as well

LJUBLJANA - The annual ceremony in memory of Russian POWs who died building the Vršič pass during the First World War will this year mark not only 105 years since their death but also the 200th anniversary of Alexander I of Russia's attendance at the Congress of Ljubljana and 30 years of Slovenia's independence. The ceremony will be held on Saturday. The Russian delegation will feature Konstantin Kosachev, the deputy speaker of the Federation Council, Russian parliament's upper house. The Russian Orthodox Church will be represented by Archbishop Tikhon, the primate of the diocese of Berlin and Germany.

Toll sticker sales increase y/y but remain below 2019 levels

LJUBLJANA - Between 1 December 2020 and 30 June 2021, the national motorway company DARS sold a total of 2,622,601 toll stickers, which is 5% more than in the same period last year. However, this year's sales are still 30% lower than in 2019, before the Covid-19 epidemic, when DARS sold 3,769,910 toll stickers by the end of June. The value of toll stickers sold from 1 December 2020 to the end of June this year amounted to EUR 109.17 million. This is slightly below the sales between 1 December 2019 and the end of June 2020 (EUR 110.61 million).

Darko Jorgić achieves best Olympic result in Slovenia's table tennis so far

TOKYO, Japan - Slovenia's Darko Jorgić has made it to the quarter finals in the men's singles table tennis event at Tokyo Olympics as he beat Tomokazu Harimoto, Japan's wunderkind and the fourth-ranked in this category. Jorgić's feat is the best Olympic result in table tennis for Slovenia so far. The 22-year-old, who now ranks 31st in world rankings, could get a ticket for the semi-final on Wednesday when he takes on the seventh-ranked Lin Yun-Ju of Taiwan.

Trajković misses Olympic medal in taekwondo

TOKYO, Japan - Slovenia's Ivan Trajković finished fifth in taekwondo at the Tokyo Olympics after missing bronze by a whisker in the men's +80kg event, having to concede to South Korea's In Kyo-don, the number 2 seed, 4:5. This is Trajković's best Olympic result after he placed 11th at the 2012 Olympics in London. He failed to make it to the Rio Games four years later.

Coach service links Tolmin and Cividale del Friuli

TOLMIN - A coach service linking Tolmin in western Slovenia with Cividale del Friuli in Italy during the summer season was launched with a promotional ride and a meeting between mayors from both sides of the border. Running in July and August, the service was put into operation with the help of Crossmoby, a project under the Interreg programme of interregional cooperation between Slovenia and Italy which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.